Ghosts of the Past
by TehDARKTemplar
Summary: The Tallest have green lighted Operation "END GAME," a mission which is to end their greatest enemy, Zim. They have sent in an elite team known as "STRIKER." Composed of all of the Invaders and led by Tak, they are joined by Dib and practically all of Earth's military forces in a hunt for Zim. Chaos ensues and a galactic scale war ravages the Milky Way. Eventual ZaTr.
1. Intro

Transmission Begins 0910

HQIRK to NEPTUNEMASSIVE

Encrypted using: TAPS Decrypted using: SPEAR

Sent: 0915 Received/Decrypted: 0920/0930

Subject: Operation "END GAME"

Operation "END GAME" status: WHITE

Operation Target: Subject: ZIM

Subject Pak I.D.: 42611073490016ZPQ

Hereditary Information: Father: Q9421246E Mother: A6310114B

Occupation: Service Drone; FOODCOURTIA; SIZZ LOR

Pak I.D. 10234567319234LMB

Subject Status: DEFECTIVE

Subject Analysis: Criminally insane, two known cohorts; defective SIR unit "GIR" and robotic, hover device "MINIMOOSE"

Threat Assessment: ZIM- Red Alpha Zero

GIR- Yellow Gamma Four

MINIMOOSE- unknown: no information in databanks

Conclusions: ZIM- termination desirable; destroy DNA in databanks

GIR- deactivation; send in state to Planet DIRT

MINIMOOSE- Combat CO will assess threat as no information is available for assessment

NEPTUNEMASSIVE to HQIRK

Encrypted using: POX Decrypted using: XERXES

Sent: 1045 Received/Decrypted: 1150/1210

Subject: Re: Subject:" Operation END GAME"

Subject: ZIM; Destroy DNA, erase Mother and Father DNA and related DNA

New Mission Objective: Kill ZIM; any resources asked will be delivered immediately or as soon they are available

Recall/ brief all Invaders by three cycles

Send Invaders to NEPTUNEMASSIVE in 5 cycles

Promotion: Subject: TAK Pak I.D. 4429631201137TRI

Janitorial Drone to Invader; Immediate military activation; CO of ground force "STRIKER" in Operation "END GAME" effective immediately

Protocol override: "DOUGHNUT" by Tallest and Grand Royal Council by unanimous decision

Operation "END GAME" status change: GREEN effective immediately

Authorization cod:" PROTOCAL CNTRL"

D-Day schedule change: 4.22

H-Hour same: 0100

Transmission End 1215


	2. Chapter 1 The Starter's Gun

Chapter 1

The Starter's Gun

4.21 1045

Star System: Unknown

"Those fools will never learn not to announce their plans to the whole universe." The speaker rubbed his forehead, red eyes gleaming in the faint, single beam of moonlight. "But all the same, it serves its purpose." The speaker then let out a low cackle, then stepped out from the light, and disappeared.

4.22 2240 Orbit over Planet EARTH

Star System: 4211649

NEPTUNEMASSIVE

"Are we in position?"

"We are in position, my Tallest."

"The main batteries are locked, correct?"

"Yes, my Tallest."

"Battery Officer, give me the countdown."

"About twenty rotations, my Tallest."

Tallest Red breathed in deeply, his Pak struggling to calm his rapidly beating heart. He sat in a large throne, in the middle of the helm of the Massive, in front of a large screen showing the countdown until the start of Operation End Game. Tallest Purple was currently in the storage pods selecting snacks for the show, as they would watch the opening scenes of destruction and chaos, and hopefully, see Zim's dead, burnt body strewn on the streets of Planet Earth.

"Check on Striker, XO."

"My Tallest."

The XO (second in command) hurried away to the Communications Officer and returned shortly with a report. "Team Striker is fully prepped and are loaded on the shuttle. They are awaiting orders, my Tallest."

Tallest Red nodded, then turned once again to the Battery Officer. "Reroute power from the auxiliary power core to the main battery. Overload power on the guns to 200%. We want to make sure the bastard dies."

2245 City NEW YORK Province NEW YORK Country UNITED STATES Planet EARTH

Zim's House

It was a funny little house really. The gnomes, the flamingo, the coloring, the wires sucking power from the houses next door. Really, everything was extraordinary about the house.

'_Especially the alien base Zim is hiding underneath it…' _

Dib strode confidently towards the house. He was dressed as a pizza delivery man , specifically, Bloaty's Pizza. He had seen the little robot Zim called 'Gir,' order from that disgusting, horrid place many times, and a lot of the times at odd hours. Usually around 12 o'clock. Seeing that Gir loved the pizza, he had figured that he wouldn't pass up a chance for free pizza, and Zim, knowing his robot's peculiarities, wouldn't see anything suspicious about it.

Dib readjusted his glasses, fiddled with his fake facial hair, and then knocked on the door with his right hand while balancing an empty pizza box on his left. He reached into his pocket, and gripped the camera he had hidden there.

'_As soon as that tin can opens the door, I'll drop my fake disguise, whip out my camera, and expose Zim to the whole world!' _He had to hide his smirk as whipping his mouth, and stood patiently at the door.

Impatient and anxious, he checked his watch. '_12:58... where is that damn robot?' _He knocked again, this time a little louder. '_Did Zim see through my disguise? No. He would've done something stupid like send out his maniac robot after me.' _

He pounded on the door," Bloaty's Pizza delivery! Anyone home?" Dib licked his lips nervously, and looked at the gnomes. They had been strangely inactive.

'_Wait a minute…' _Dib checked the gnomes' eyes. Unlike their usual bright red, they were a blackish reddish color. Perplexed, Dib checked the giant wires protruding out of the sides of the house. '_Funny, they're not active…' _Dib poked one bracing for the shock of his life, but felt nothing.

Dib went back to the door, and twisted the door knob, and opened the door. An inky darkness greeted him. '_Why did Zim turn off the power of his base? Or is this a trap?' _

Dib threw off the cap, the box, the overcoat, and the facial hair. He whipped out his camera and screamed," ZIM I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME YOU BASTARD, COME OUT AND FACE ME, YOU CAN'T SCARE ME!"

"_Voice identified," _spoke the computer. A large container popped out of the roof and dropped to the floor. Steam hissed as the box collapsed, unveiling a small circular device.

Dib leaned forward to get a look at it. An image was suddenly projected, filling the room with an eerie light. Dib leapt back, startled, but quickly recovered.

"Oh man, an ALIEN hologram projector, the Swollen Eyeballs have GOT to see THIS!" He started to film, and then the hologram faded, showing Zim out of disguise on the screen in the lower portions of his base. Dib gasped," THE ALIEN, oh man this is gonna be good!"

"Hello Dib," spoke Zim," If you are watching this, then you have found my base deserted and powerless." Zim spun his hand around, cracking his wrist. "Well, mostly powerless. But no matter, Gir, Minimoose, and the ALMIGHTY ZIM, have left your FILTHY continent, and have gone some place else. Why? Because the Armada is coming, and what happens next will not be pleasant, nor for YOU and your FILTHY STINK PEOPLE." Zim was leaning towards the screen, a savage green exposing his irregularly shaped teeth. "The Armada will begin Operation End Game, as they call it, with a bombardment of my house, and it will destroy… most of the city… probably all of it and most of the surrounding country side. They dislike… certain things... Anyways, this hologram projector will show the countdown until your city's DOOM, bye- bye Dib- stink."

The hologram fizzled out and a clock was shown. "Thirty seconds?" Dib screamed , he ditched the camera, and dove for the trash can he saw Zim use.

The hologram projector counted down the seconds until impact.

5… 4… 3… 2… 1… 0… IMPACT

4.25 1500 D- Day+3 Planet EARTH

"And New York City is still covered by a cloud of ashes and smoke as the laser caused numerous fires that are only now being fought as the rescue workers have had to clear massive amounts of debris and rubble. In fact, the explosion was so devastating, everyone within a one hundred mile radius is advised to obtain gas masks to combat-"

The T.V. went dead. Dib lay on the gurney, in all of his big headed glory. He had suffered greatly from the explosion. Three broken ribs, a broken leg, a fractured ankle, back problems for the rest of his life, cancer was probable, lung infection, ear torn off, internal bleeding, second degree burns, and multiple bruises.

He coughed violently, then spat the blood into a disposable cup located to his right. He had been lucky that Zim left a little power on at his base. The base sent him hurtling through Zim's base. He reached about 1500 feet when he felt the base shaking, and then felt his stomach drop as the elevator fell as there was no power left to control the speed of the descent. He was in free fall until about 3000 feet when the elevator stopped and he slammed into the floor, and bounced out into Zim's lab, where the ceiling had fallen in on itself.

He barely managed to dodge the debris… well, most of it anyway. A piece of the supporting "ribcage" fell on Dib, breaking his leg. He had to drag himself using two arms and one of light legs back up the elevator, and then had to push his way through all the rubble. The searing heat had given him the burns, but he had managed to stay away from the worst of it.

He had trudged through the broken remains of the city and the surrounding countryside for about a day before he found survivors. It then was another day and a half before they found rescue workers, and then a couple of hours until medical care.

'_Damn that alien piece of shit,' _Dib snarled in his head,' _he probably planned this, knowing that I would try to infiltrate his base soon.' _

He heard the moans, groans, and screams of the wounded and dying in the hospital. They were all victims of the opening phase of… what did Zim call it? Oh yes, Operation End Game.

'_All these innocent people… I have failed in my duty to protect the human race… we're now doomed to an eternal existence of Zim's snack eating… Tallest?' _

Dib's head fell to his chest as he sat in quiet contemplation. He heard a knock on the door.

"Come in."

An orderly from his father's lab came in, his white lab coat black with soot, his goggles fogged over with dust, his face streaked with sweat, blood, and ash.

"Are you Dib?"

"Yes," Dib sat up straight in his gurney," that's me."

"I have some ah… bad news."

Dib's eyes blinked rapidly," D- do you mean D-dad?" He left the question hanging in the air.

The orderly let his head fall," Yes Dib. Your father and your sister Gaz were above ground when the explosion occurred, they were going to Bloaty's…" His voice trailed off as Dib started to sob. He quietly went out and closed the door.

"Nooo…" He covered his face with his good hand. After a good five minutes of tears, he composed himself, and stared out the windows toward space.

"I swear, I will hunt you down Zim," he hissed," and all of your kind. I will make your race pace twenty fold for every man, woman, child you have hurt, and one hundred fold for Dad and Gaz…" If looks could kill, you could compare his gaze to drowing 1000 Zim's with water.

4.27 1345 D- Day+5 City: NEW YORK Near focal point of blast

The trio walked through the streets of New York, carrying heart beat sensors attached to their backpacks. They all carried walkie- talkies and wore gas masks. The middle one seemed to be in charge of inspecting the area. The area was irregular in elevation and temperature.

The surrounding area was hot, hotter than the area here. This part of New York was pretty much the only cool, dark patch of ground in 75 miles. Everything else was glowing a bright orange. The surrounding area was also much lower in elevation, but this area stuck out like a sore thumb.

Smoke, dust, and ash filled the area, forcing the trio to clear their goggles regularly. As they neared the focal point, a nearby worker called out to them

"Aye, the ground there is much hotter than the surrounding area. You're gonna have t' wear these special boots." He tossed each of them a pair of "heat-resistant" boots for them to wear. They nodded their thanks and moved on.

As they reached the focal point, they aimed their sensors towards the wreckage.

"You're not gonna find anythin' there," spoke a medical orderly. " They already scanned the area for heat signatures, found nothin'."

"Thanks, but we aren't looking for a live human," spoke the leader of the trio.

The orderly shrugged, then walked away muttering about "government agents," the "CIA," and "Area 51."

'_Just as well he thinks that we're from the government.' _

The middle one walked away from the trio and pulled the walkie- talkie out of her pouch and spoke," This is Invader Tak. We have seen no sign of Zim, alive or dead. We are presuming that he is alive as it seems that the humans scanned the area for heat signatures but found nothing signaling anything living. Adding to my theory, it seems that his base managed to absorb most of the damage of the blast. Invader Tak out."

1400 747 Washington D.C., United States to Paris, France

'Yes. Zim is still very much alive. Alive and well, along with Gir and Minimoose.' Zim sat in the first class portion of the 747 going to Paris, he was posing as a businessman going back home with government credentials (hence the "android") and carrying a toy moose for his three year old daughter Cecey. He was currently pretending to watch the movie _Lord of the Rings_ while actually listening in on the "secure" channels of Armada communications. '_The Dib probably thinks that I, the amazing ZIM is responsible for this mess," _Zim pursed his lips,' _but that would keep Tak and the others off my trail while I collect it…' _

**How's about a little suspense for the end of my first chapter? :P You like? Comment and favorite… IMMEDIATELY**


	3. Chapter 2 Listening In

Chapter 2

Listening In

**Yeah, I 'm sorry I took so long to update, but I've been busy with High School and I'm sorry, but hopefully I will have more time to work on this fanfic. :D Thanks for reading it and reviews are appreciated along with constructive criticism. Flamers will be roasted and fed to my bear.**

5.21 D-DAY+29 City PARIS Province ILE-DE-FRANCE Country FRANCE Planet EARTH

"Striker, do you copy Striker?"

"Copy that Neptunemassive, this is Striker , over."

"The Tallest would like to speak to Striker CO."

"Of course, hold, I'll put her on."

"My Tallest?"

"Striker CO, we would like to talk to you about Operation End Game."

"Of course."

"Invader Tak, Tallest Purple and I are starting to have doubts about your leadership potential. You showed so much potential and progress during the resoc process, but, unfortunately, with your inability to lead we might have to-

"We can catch him, it's just a matter of time my Tallest, I don't know where the bastard flew, or how he knew, but I can tell you this much, when I find him, I will cut parts of him off, piece by piece, and feed it to him."

"Invader Tak, just finish it, we'll deal with his punishment, and you can get your revenge afterwards."

"Sirs."

"Tak, we aren't going to rush into any RASH decisions, as the Grand Royal Council sees fit to keep you as Striker CO, but, we are beginning to have our doubts. If results are given soon, we may see it fit to deprive you of your command, and give it to say... Skoodge?"

Zim suppressed a giggle, it was so much _fun_ listening on things he wasn't supposed to hear, especially when it included Tak be threatened with Skoodge.

"My Tallest, I will try harder. But I have several requests."

"Request denied Tak, you have everything you need down planetside."

"But my Tallest, the mission brief specifically stated that the Striker Force Team would receive any request they wanted."

"_As soon as it is available Tak._ No, we can't just send an invading force as much as we would like, this world has nothing special we can utilize in our Empire. In fact, taking over this patch of dirt would dumb down every Irken to the level of _ZIM._"

"Sirs, I request an invading force, and I still hold firm to my belief that an army planetside would speed up the search-"

"It would deplete much needed personnel Tak. We are preparing for war as we speak, the Talixians aren't going to wait for us to catch the most wanted criminal in the Empire. It's a huge cost enough that we have all of our Invaders on this patch of dirt, and even more of a waste as we have several of our most valuable ships providing you with your needed supplies. No, we cannot spend more on this op Tak, you are quite capable of handling it with what you have, that is all."

"But sirs-"

"That is FINAL Tak, if you speak one more time about this, we will demote you back to Janitorial Drone and send you back to Planet Dirt. You WILL comply with the restrictions we have placed on this op. Look, we all hate Zim as much as you do, Tak, believe me, we do, but we need every Irken and ship we can get for the upcoming battles with the Talixians. You know that they are second in universal power, and even then we are barely ahead of them. We NEED all resources, I'm sorry, but that's how it is. You cannot allow petty revenge to supersede the goals and needs of an Empire. Neptunemassive over and out."

Zim laid back into the air chair. He had gotten into a very expensive hotel in Paris with a gorgeous view of the surrounding city, the funding? Striker Force's of course. _'Life is good' _ he thinks to himself. The Talixians are going to war with the Irken Empire, all perfectly engineered by me. He smirked, then called out to GIR for a bottle of wine.

**Yeah, this is kind of a tease. So... let's see how the rest of it turns out, neh? **


	4. Chapter 3 Solutions

Chapter 3

Solutions

**Well, well, well, I have uploaded two consecutive chapters in two consecutive days. Don't expect this to happen a lot. FEEL FORTUNATE.**

5.22 D-Day+30 City UNKNOWN Province UNKNOWN Country UNITED STATES Planet EARTH

"So... the... aliens have left orbit...why?"

"We ah, don't know sir... it seems that the alien threat is leaving our solar system, we don't know their final destination," the Secretary of Defense coughed, nervous," but all we know is that most of the fleet has left, leaving only five ships. While we don't know _why_ they came, then left almost immediately, but we _must _prepare for the event that they will come-"

"WELL NO SHIT!" The president stood up suddenly, his chair flying backwards, pounding the table with each syllable. "WE _MUST _PREPARE FOR THAT EVENT! I want to know everything, your answers don't satisfy the public, we _answer _to the people, to the world. If the United States doesn't step up and take the mantle of leadership now, no one else will. While most of the world's leadership wants to band together, many others disagree. So many people disagree, they see this as a matter between the Americans and the green skinned, bug eyed fuckers who razed New York to the _ground_. " At this point, the president sat back down, breathing heavily and sweating profusely.

When he regained his composure, he said," I want a full report. I want it by the second week of next month. It had better detailed, and enough to get the support to form a united earth. I want explanations, I want answers, I want solutions... Get to it, the world depends on you."

5.24 D-Day+32 City PHILADELPHIA Province PENNSYLVANIA Country UNITED STATES Planet EARTH

The hospital was filled with the wounded people from the blast, the colossal amount of damage that had been dealt by that one blast was crazy. The wounded were still being treated...

_God damn... fucking aliens... _The government agent wiped the sweat off his brow, and began to walk to his next interview. _The president wants this kid, for what? He's just a kid... But if what they say is true, he could make those alien fuckers pay... _He shook his head, and approached an nurse that was currently sitting down in a chair, taking a rest as it would seem.

"Excuse me, nurse, could you tell me where I could find uh-" he looked at his clipboard," Dib?"

The nurse looked at him wearily," I'm sorry, we cannot allow visitors at this time, the doctors need to operate quickly, the burns and radiation are-"

The agent pulled out his identification," Jeremy, just Jeremy, you don't have high enough clearance to know my last name." He gave a tired smile, knowing the universal look of uncertainty when they found out about his rank.

"Oh, ah... sir. Could you please give me a last name? It would make our search much easier."

"Ah, no, I'm sorry. He was only listed as 'Dib', but I do have a photo of him?"

The nurse looked at the photo with her red eyes," Ah, this child... poor kid... lost his whole family in the bombardment."

"So you recognize this kid?"

"Yes, but, I'm not sure if this kid is physiologically sane, he keeps rambling on about a Zim, robots, and such and he refuses-"

"Just tell me what room he is, this is a _global_ emergency, this child is very, very important to how the alien threat could pan out. He has information the United States government needs. Now."

The nurse looked at him, then finally conceded. "He's down the hall, to the left, third door on the right."

"MOVE MOVE MOVE!" The speaker rushed by, clearing the area for a gurney being pushed by some medical orderlies. The patient seemed to be hyperventilating, his eyes blank, unseeing...

* * *

"So you are Dib, a.k.a. Agent Mothman of the Swollen Eyeball Organization?"

The big headed boy, no more than 15 years old stared back at him, unblinking. " Are you Dib, otherwise known as Mothman?"

"You're government, you should know." The boy said this blandly, without emotion, all the while staring at him, unblinking.

"Yes, yes I am government, and you are Dib, Agent Mothman of the S.E.O. I must say, your record for supernatural life is quite impressive-"

"It isn't 'supernatural,'" he hissed," it's real, it's an actual science."

"We know Dib, we know. We believe you. We need your help with this... problem... and since your file presents the picture that you're an expert on extraterrestrial life, in particular, the Irkens, we need your help."

"I figured as much..." His fists began to ball up," No one cares until there is blood." His eye began to twitch. " Why? why doesn't _anyone_ believe me?"

"Hold on son, we believe you now, that's all that matters."

"But at what cost? You all believed me too late, TOO LATE!" He began to foam at the mouth, screaming, raving, his arms flailing. "WHY? WHY? WHY COULDN'T THEY BELIEVE SOONER?"

The agent breathed out of his nostrils in disappointment. _We need this kid, we need him. He has the information we want, no, we need. Hopefully, with all the funding future weapons and tech is getting, we'll be able to extract the information we need. _His eyes narrowed as the orderlies rushed in to restrain Dib. _Sooner or later... preferably sooner... _He left to room to call command.

5.24 D-Day+32 City LONDON Province LONDON Country UNITED KINGDOM Planet EARTH

Tak breathed out in frustration. Zim was nowhere to be found. _By Irk the little shit is making himself __very __hard to find. _At first, Tak had been confident in her ability to seek out her prey, seeing as it was _Zim_ they were hunting, but, her inability to even catch a glimpse of the fugitive was making even the Tallest doubt her leadership abilities. As if that wasn't bad enough, the Invaders that were assigned to be under her were getting impatient, if she didn't get the situation under control soon, she would have a mutiny on her hands.

_Sploodge, Yoogli, and Stink are the ringleaders... _she thought as she drummed her fingers against her chin. _How am I supposed to deal with my leadership crisis. _

Coming up with nothing, she cursed and slammed a fist against the table, making the disgusting, _putrid_ human food jump a little. She didn't pay attention to the glances she received from the piggish males in the cafe, admiring her physical appearance. She had chosen a holograph disguise with purple hair which appeared to be died, along with brown eyes. Tak had chosen practically the same set of clothes she wore the last time she came to this pitiful excuse of a planet, along with her signature boots. She loved those boots, custom made, like her SIR, MiMi, one of a kind, built with her very own- a male sat across from her.

"Hey baby, you mind me asking what your name is?"

Tak's eyes narrowed, this male had a different accent than the rest of these... Londoners? no, his accent wasn't even from this region at all... he was... American... _Typical entry, piggish, full of self-confidence..._

"Yes, I would."

The male's smirk of self importance faltered, probably one used to getting what he wanted, considering how wealthy his clothes made him off to be, and his 'good' looks.

"You sure? I mean, such a hot lady like you couldn't possibly be alone. I mean, when I first saw you, I was like..."

The human pig rambled on, Tak wanted to smash his face in, breaking those sunglasses he wore so confidently, apparently not feeling foolish for wearing them in the middle of the cold season. Her mind began to search for a way of leaving the area without creating a huge disturbance.

"... and I mean, look at your _rack_-" the human didn't finish his sentence. Tak saw an opportunity, and seized it by the throat. She sent her right fist rocketing from its place against her chin right on his nose, snapping those sunglasses in half. Her left hand jabbed at his chest, as he left it undefended to clasp his bleeding nose. The second hit left him on the ground, struggling to breathe.

Tak got up and wiped the blood of her hand, and spat on him, uncaring of the looks of awe the patrons gave her. As she was leaving the cafe, it hit her. _I just need to start a fight..._

**Thanks for reading Ghosts of the Past by me, TehDARKTemplar, please review. I will give digital cookies to reviewers and digital cakes to followers. **


	5. Chapter 4 Wars and Rumors of Wars

Chapter 4

Wars and Rumors of Wars

**FINALLY AND UPDATE, why do I update so late at night? **

5.30 1400 Star System 5484625

The Talixian frowned, looking at the holographic display of the Irken Armada. The Massive was certainly massive, it's foreboding figure nearly blotting out most of the Irken Fleet. The Talixian unfolded his hands from in front of his face and began to manipulate the display, zooming in on the fleet.

He rubbed his glistening forehead with his four fingered hand. He was tall, about 6' 8", and was covered in a blue cloth. His back was dominated by a methane gas convertor. The tubes lead from his back to his mouth, his whole jaw covered by the breathing apparatus, and his eyes by goggles.

"Kal' Zan, would you look at this?" He called over a technician, a being in similar garb, the only difference being that the uniform was red.

"Yes Tel' Rhi?"

"Is Fleet Commander Rhas aware that the Irken Armada, the WHOLE Irken Armada is gathered at our invasion route?"

"No, communication has been cut off ever since we left the fleet's position."

Kal 'Zan cursed, and snarled at his XO," Yau' Han, I need you to direct us back to the Fleet. We have what we came for."

5.30 D-Day+ 38 1430 City PARIS Province ILE-DE-FRANCE Country FRANCE Planet EARTH

Zim leaned back in the leather chair, staring at the holo display before him. It's greenish hue was the only light in the room, and was reflected in his ruby eyes.

"It's only a matter of time GIR," he turned to address his robotic companion," the Armada and the Golden Fleet will battle it out, and it will be a battle worth remembering for eons to come."

"Sir, but Tallest will be reluctant to engage in open combat with the Golden Fleet. Although the Armada is the greatest military force in our galaxy to date, the Golden Fleet will fight to the end, ravaging the Armada's forces. This will weaken the Irken Empire greatly, as they will have to rely on their reserve fleets, which are nowhere near as numerous or as powerful as the Armada, and the PJE, the Resisty, and numerous other factions will take advantage of this and-"

"GIR, I understand the implications of a war between the Empire and the Talixian Republic, but, it won't be a long conflict. It will only last until I get off this FILTHY PLANET!" He slammed a gloved palm onto the desk, jolting the holo projector and scattering dust everywhere. "GIR, your theory is based on the assumption that the Armada and the Fleet are controlled by complete idiots, which they are, but even they know when to cut their losses and run. Of course, Fleet Commander Rhas' temper may overcome him, but ven then, the Fleet Commander will be restrained by his superiors. The Tallest will be alarmed by my disappearance and will disengage. Alas, the conflict will only last for, at the most, a cycle, but that will buy us precious time."

5.30 D-Day+ 38 1600 City LONDON Province LONDON Country UNITED KINGDOM Planet EARTH

Tak hissed and dug her claws into the leather steering wheel. _Another checkpoint... Irk, the whole extraterrestrial menace thing is getting annoying... _She bit her lip and pulled out her wallet. She drove up to the checkpoint, and looked up at the constable.

"Good afternoon marm, I need to see your identification please?"

"Yes, I have it right here."

He looked at it, looking for any marks of a fake, then put it through a scanner. _Human technology is so inferior, a security drone would have gone through ten IDs in the same amount of time._ She kept on an appearance of boredom, that was not all that hard to maintain. Her thoughts wandered to the last several days.

She had been goading Sploodge, Yoogli, and Stink, Stink especially. The prick was insufferable, to the point where her hatred for him rivaled Zim's. The nuisance would soon be eradicated however, the ringleaders were nearing their breaking point.

Stink loathed her, not for being the best, but for being 'inferior.'_The little shit thinks that he's superior... all the more reason why I will enjoy crushing him..._ _Stink's self-centeredness and glorified self opinion will be his downfall._ _He will be goaded into action, and I will tear into him, and my leadership will be unquestionable. His downfall will serve as an example to all who think about challenging me in the future. _

"Marm, you may proceed." The constable slapped the hood of the car, and signaled for the barricade to be lifted.

5.31 D-Day+ 39 0110 City UNKNOWN Province UNKOWN Country UNITED STATES Planet EARTH

Dib woke up suddenly, the bed sheets clinging to his shivering body. His heart was racing, his hands clammy, and his breath shallow. He had been dreaming about his father and Gaz, he had seen their death, their terrified faces, his dad shielding Gaz with his body, the explosion.

He slowly began to calm down as he observed the room. The room was dark, there wasn't much he could see except for the shadows of objects. The door opened, letting in a flood of burning white light.

Dib's hands flew up to his eyes, he couldn't make out the figure against the bright light, not having his glasses didn't help. Dib's mouth opened, but the shadowy figure held up a hand in anticipation of his questions.

"I am Agent Spears, codenamed Praetorian. I am operating with the government of the United States of America in the Special Operations branch codenamed Erat."

The figure clapped his hands, and even more light began to shine down from the ceiling. Dib got his first clear look at the man identified as Spears. He was tall, over six feet, and pretty strong by the looks of it. The man's green eyes zeroed in on Dib as he spoke.

"I need everything you have on the aliens."

"So you can form a fleet in preparation for their next attack I would assume? It would be the only sensible alternative."

The man nodded," Yes Dib, you appear to be as smart as our reports show, although you seem to have a problem dealing with your emotions?"

"I'm FINE dealing with my emotions."

The man's eye roll was not lost on Dib. "Dib, we need what you have on the aliens, everything. Their habits, their tech, their mentality, their military capability, if they have any weaknesses or not, their enemies, _everything_."

"I'll give you all I know on the Irkens Spears, on one condition. The fleet you're going to form, I want to be part of it.

**And thus ends the fourth chapter of my story, Ghosts of the Past. Hoped you enjoyed, and thanks for reading. Reviews are much appreciated, as well as criticism. **


	6. Chapter 5 Wars and Rumors of Wars Pt II

Chapter 5

Wars and Rumors of Wars Pt. II

**BE EXCITED **

5.31 D-Day+39 0259 City PHILADELPHIA Province PENNSYLVANIA Country UNITED STATES Planet EARTH

Tak stopped to adjust her right boot strap. To any other onlooker, she was just a pretty lady walking her cat. Tak however, was currently plotting on her course of action against the upstarts several block ahead.

_'Mistress, where are we?' _

_'Mimi, is your navigation module not functioning properly?'_

_'Apparently not mistress.'_

Tak frowned and looked up at her robotic servant, who was currently rubbing up against her leg. _'I suppose I'll have to fix it later on... It must be that bastard Zim's hacking, I thought your navigation module would've escaped unscathed, but I suppose not. What is it telling you?'_

_'It's telling me that I'm in some sort of... land made of rubber pigs, populated by talking dogs, with trees made of... candy?'_

Tak snarled and pulled the strap tightly. _'We'll take care of it after we've dealt with this problem.'_

Tak and Mimi began to continue to their location, the sun barely peeking out over the horizon, shining weak rays of light onto the city of Philadelphia.

_'Mistress, our telepathic communication, how is it possible? I am inanimate and you are organic, this shouldn't be possible.'_

_'Well Mimi, I was planning to do it for the longest time, so we could communicate more effectively, but, I never got around to it, with Zim and all. After our last encounter, I was forced to deactivate you in order to keep the life support system in a working condition. You stayed in that state from then until I went to the... the... island in... Europe?'_

_'England, Mistress.'_

_'Ah yes, England. Anyways, you were in that state, which allowed me to reverse engineer your programming back to what it was originally. I had a great deal of time to work on you as Zim had disappeared. But, I utilized the cybernetic implant,' _she tapped her forehead,_' and made it so that we can send information back and forth.' _

_'Like a smaller form of radio communication?'_

_'Somewhat.'_

_'So now, we can communicate back and forth, not like the one-way conversation before?' _

_'Exactly Mimi. This also removes the problems of physically talking and of range, increasing its effectiveness and reducing our chances of being noticed.'_

_'Hmm... I would assume that you are the source? I mean the source of our communication.'_

_'Correct in your assumptions again, Mimi. It's all thanks to the cybernetic implant.'_

_'How far can I go before the connection is severed?'_

_'By human measure, about 1000 yards, through most materials, unless they are exceptionally thick or are specifically designed to stop communication.' _

_'Have you made any other alterations to my original design?'_

_'Yes, I have given you a modified version of the ST-100B variant stealth suits and have added several forms of vision to your retinal module as well as a hover capability.' _

_'You've certainly been busy, Mistress.'_

_'Well Mimi, when you only have one goal in life, you have ALL the time in the world.'_

Tak and Mimi stopped at the entrance to a park.

_'This is where I am supposed to meet the rest of our strike force, Mimi. I want you to circle around my position, the strength of our connection should give you a relatively good idea of my position.'_

_'Of course Mistress. I am acting in a reconnaissance capacity?'_

_'Yes Mimi. I need to know where Yoogli, Sploodge, and Stink are. Especially Stink. Your connection to the Irken Military Database should supply their PAK Identification, so use that to identify them.'_

_'Mistress, you didn't program me to be stupid.'_

Tak smirked in response," Of course Mimi." She affectionately patted her head, then shooed her away.

* * *

Yoogli snarled, swatting at a mosquito. "What the hell are these damn things?"

"They're called mosquitoes, scientific name, _Culiseta longiareolata_, they are blood sucking insects."

Yoogli turned towards Sploodge, a pink eyed Irken without the customary striped uniform nor the spotted PAK.

"Shut up Sploodge, I didn't ask you."

Sploodge replied mildly," If one is to conquer a planet, it would be best to realize the full potential of the planet's inhabitants."

"Well, what can these tiny parasites do? Suck me to death?" Yoogli guffawed and doubled over in laughter.

Sploodge looked on with disgust," Yes, in a sense, they could Yoogli. The humans could use these parasites to transport disease, killing us off in droves."

"The humans don't even have a military craft capable of space travel," Yoogli snorted," how do you think they can manipulate these insects to such a degree?"

"It's simple really, if you weren't so hardheaded, maybe you would be able to grasp this concept."

"Are you calling me stupid?" Yoogli's pink eyes flared, his claws dug into his palm as he took a menacing step forward.

Nearby Invaders began to circle the two, preparing for the inevitable fight. Despite Sploodge's size advantage, Yoogli was known to fight exceptionnalu viciously. In fact, the only reason he got to become an Invader was because of his unparalleled compulsion to shed blood.

"As a matter of fact, I was. What about it, short round?"

"Short wha-?"

Sploodge launched an assault, throwing a fist across Yoogli's chin. Green blood splattered on nearby Invaders, who were launched into a frenzy, screaming for more.

Sploodge dodged the next blow and connected with Yoogli's stomach. Yoogli staggered back, both hands on his stomach, doubling up. Sploodge exposed his razor sharp teeth, then charged forward, but was stopped when Yoogli stomped on his ankle.

Yoogli then proceeded to grab Sploodge in a headlock and began pummeling his face. His assault was only stopped short when Yoogli shoved his knee into his crotch. Sploodge's face grimaced, and fell onto the ground, holding his crotch. Sploodge leapt onto Yoogli and began to batter him, a blow to the head, to the chin, pulling of the antennae, a shattered shoulder, the one sided battle would have gone on if not for Stink.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

The circle of Invaders parted as Stink stormed into arena. "WITH THE RACKET YOU'RE MAKING, THE WHOLE HUMAN MILITARY WILL BE ON US WITHIN PARSECS!"

The flabbergasted Sploodge raised a finger and opened his mouth in protest, but got no further when Stink's metal clad fist crashed into his chin. Sploodge fell to the ground, staring at the wild eyed Invader with terrified eyes.

"DID I NOT SPECIFICALLY TELL YOU TO KEEP A LOOK OUT FOR TAK? IS THAT NOT WHAT I TOLD YOU TO DO SOLDIER?"

"Bu- but, Sir," Sploodge protested weakly.

"Bu- bu- but Si-si- siiiiiir," Stink stuttered condescendingly. " BUT SIR WHAT? WHAT IS IT SPLOODGE? ARE YOU WEAK? IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU NEED TO TELL ME, TELL ME NOW!"

"It's nothing sir..."

"NOTHING? NOTHING? THIS IS SOMETHING SPLOODGE, I GAVE YOU A DIRECT ORDER TO LOOK OUT FOR TAK, AND THIS IS WHAT I COME BACK TO? WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?"

"Well sir... tensions are high as we have... nothing to do?" Tenn spoke tentatively.

"Nothing to do? NOTHING TO DO? We're here to look for Zim, ZIIIIIM! THE GREATEST FAILURE SINCE THE INDUSTRIAL COLLAPSE OF 2512! WE'RE HERE TO PUT AN END TO THIS LITTLE SHIT!"

* * *

Tak watched from afar, looking through the binoculars her PAK provided. _'Scratch that Mimi, I don't need the PAK IDs.' _

_'Mistress, do you want me to terminate Invader Stink? I have a clear engagement route.'_

_'No Mimi, this should be between me and Stink.'_

Tak arose from her position on the knoll, and brushed off spades of grass that clung to her uniform. She began to amble on towards the Invaders' position. Stink's ranting became clearer the closer she approached, until she could fully appreciate the full power of his lungs.

She stood behind him, watching him scream at the Invaders who were currently focusing on her.

"Ah sir..."

"WHAT IS it?" Stink shifted his attention to Sneakonfoota, an unusually tall Irken with a single spot on his PAK.

"Ah, um... Tak appears to be behind you sir..."

"Wha-?" Stink spun around, a look of confusion on his face. "Tak? WHERE THE HELL DID YOU COME FROM?"

"While you were busy ranting at MY group of Invaders for failing to keep watch, I walked up behind you. You are a miserable leader. A leader should lead by example, should she not?" She directed this last sentence to the group of Invaders, who all nodded quickly.

"Good, it is good that you all agree with me, because I will show you an example of what happens to upstarts." She spun around, whipping out a pistol, and shoved the barrel into Stink's face. He had barely enough time to comprehend what had happened before she pulled the trigger.

Stink's face of shocked comprehension was all that remained, his eyes staring blankly forwards, a hole burnt into his skull. A deadly silence fell upon the group of Invaders as Tak turned around, and ejected the spent cartridge. She stared directly at Sneakyonfoota," Sneaky, it would be a shame if you would have to die today for alerting Stink to my presence, as well as inclining that Stink was in command."

The lanky Irken looked back, a look of bitter acceptance on his face. "However, I would be willing to forgive you if you put an end to those two." She glanced with contempt at Yoogli and Sploodge, both still on the ground.

Sneaky managed a look of frightened thankfulness at his commander, then proceeded to escort the battered Yoogli and Sploodge with the help of Invaders Tim and Yuli.

Tak began to disassemble her pistol, and began to speak. "The rest of you I should execute, just like Yoogli, Sploodge, and Stink. It is Irken law after all." Two shots rang out, the remaining Invaders quailed visibly. "However, I am willing to forgive your faults, if and only if, you execute the Invaderthat just killed my opponents."

"E-execute?" Tenn asked weakly.

"Yes, or else I will kill _all _of you."

The Invaders trooped slowly made their way towards the unfortunate, and a shot rang out. Tak finished cleaning her sidearm, and smiled.

5.31 D-Day+ 39 0800 City UNKNOWN Province UNKOWN Country UNITED STATES Planet EARTH

"Wow..."

"Wow indeed."

Dib stared at the holographic images of weapons of the future, weapons that shouldn't even exist. "How did you manage to design all of this," he looked at Spears," we can't even travel at half the speed of light, and yet you have ships that can give the Armada a run for its money."

Spears smiled grimly at Dib," Well, you see Dib, the military is _always _ahead of the civilian world in terms of technology," he gestured at the images of ships, power suits, guns, vehicles," and, there are some paranoid people in the world." He looked meaningfully at Dib," But, paranoia can save our asses sometimes. So, this is a result of a bunch of people like you, arguing that a threat really existed, and, it turns out that they were right."

"But _who _came up with all of this? And how?"

"After World War 2, the US just wanted to get along with Russia, but some people didn't think that it would work out, and they were right. But regardless, after World War 2, the USSR and the US began to snatch up as many German scientists they possibly could, because, as you know, the Nazi Regime had the most advanced tech in the world at that time, rockets, jets etc. In fact, one of the scientists we grabbed helped design NASA's rockets. Anyways, essentially, the more scientists we got, the better advantage we had in the coming 'Cold War.' It helped that most German scientists didn't like the idea of working with a group of people their government had invaded and tried to exterminate, so, we managed to get a large portion of the scientists after the War." Spears paused and began to swipe at the screen, displaying even more technology.

"So, with all these brilliant minds, we began to develop future tech, planes, supersonic flight, etc. Now, we wanted to have as much of an advantage over the enemy as possible, and, a lot of advanced technology was thought of, tested, and, became reality. As you can tell, these guys were geniuses in their fields of science, and we had the most advanced tech in the world."

"So why didn't you use it?"

"That's because the cost of the program would've put the whole _world _in debt, and that coupled with the amount we were already spending on the military would've destroyed our economy, and, might have lead to another global depression. Before asking questions Dib, try thinking about the consequences of what would happen if we followed through."

"But they must have gotten funding from somewhere for prototypes and testing."

"Yes, but one prototype isn't that big of a deal, especially considering how much money the government was throwing at the military.

"Point taken, but now you have the backing you need to launch this program?"

"No, we don't. The rest of the governments in the world are just too hard headed to go ahead with this plan. Then, there's the problem with individual identity, the Muslims siding with the Israelis? No way. North Korea and South Korea reconciling? Not under present conditions. Syria is in a state of chaos right now, and we're still deeply entrenched in the Middle East. We can't just throw that all away. If we try to, it'll come back and bite us in the ass, just like in World War 2 when Eisenhower failed to take Berlin. Now, I don't personally agree with this, and neither does the president, but a lot of congressmen are being _very _reluctant about this. Same goes with most people in the world, they want to believe that this was a one-time thing, an accident, they want to continue living under a rock. Change isn't always viewed as a good thing Dib."

"Aren't there people that agree with you?"

"Of course Dib, there just isn't enough. That is why we need _you_," he poked Dib in the chest with a gloved finger. "We need you to bring _all _the evidence you have about the aliens' intentions here. We have to form a united Earth, a united human species."

"I know I can do it, I just don't have anything with me, it was all destroyed in the blast."

"Of course, that's why we're teaming you up with other alien enthusiasts like you and taking in the SEO."

"You're letting the Swollen Eye Organization be part of this?"

"Yes, we are. You are going to head a team of SEOs, alien watchers, and agents of the Extraterrestrial Division. Your job is to find those aliens on our planet, and expose them to the world for what they really are."

5.32 0925 Star System 5484625

"WE'RE BEING BOARDED!" The Irken Elites began to form up at the breach, pointing their weapons at it. The door burst off, taking out three Elites and releasing a cloud of steam, clouding their vision.

"FIRE!" roared the Lieutenant.

The Elites began to fire at the breach, their pink laser fire ripping through the steam. Screams were heard and soon the Talixians returned fire, firing their own weapons. Several Elites dropped screaming, their various body parts shot off by the deadly return fire.

The cloud of steam began to dissipate as the Elite Lieutenant called for his troops to fall back. Several squads of Irken Marines rushed forward to take their place as the Elites began to limp back, taking their wounded with them. The Talixians emerged from the steam and were cut down in droves. The Massive rocked as more assault pods ripped through the hull and unloaded their cargo in clouds of steam.

* * *

"WHERE IS THE _HAND OF IRK_?" Purple screamed hysterically at a nearby officer.

"MY TALLEST, THE _HAND OF IRK _WAS DESTROYED THIRTY MINUTES AGO BY THE _RUINED BLADE_!"

"HOW MANY CARRIERS DO WE HAVE LEFT?"

"WE HAVE SIXTY-SEVEN, MOST NOTABLY THE _BRUTALIZER_, THE _TERRIRIZOR, _AND THE _DOOMBRINGER_!"

"TELL THEM TO PUSH THE LEFT FLANK AND TELL NAVAL GROUPS ALPHA 1, ZETA 4, AND GAMMA 9 TO SUPPORT THEM!"

"SIR!"

Tallest Purple slowly made his way to Red who was directing the defense of the Massive," RED, I THINK WE MAY HAVE TO ABANDON THE SHIP, THE TALIXIANS ARE TOO CLOSE!"

"NO, WE CAN STILL WIN THIS BATTLE, WE JUST NEED MORE TIME!"

"I'M TRYING TO BUY TIME BUT I DON'T THINK I CAN GIVE YOU MUCH MORE! YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET RID OF THE TALIXIANS ON THE SHIP WITHIN THIRTY!"

"OKAY!"

* * *

"CAPTAIN, THE TALIXIANS HAVE ENTERED DECKS THREE THROUGH SEVEN!"

"ACTIVATE THE DRONES AND TURRETS, WE CANNOT ALLOW THEM TO REACH THE TALLEST!"

"SIR!" The Marine hurried away to activate the automated defenses.

"LIEUTENANT RAE, I NEED YOU TO TAKE AS MANY SOLDIERS AS YOU CAN AND GET TO THE TALLEST, KILL ANYONE THAT DOES NOT REGISTER ON THE SCANNERS!"

"SIR!"

**Whoo, the longest chapter too date! AND ALL THAT SHOUTING! Thanks for reading, I would appreciate if you would leave a comment below! Again, thanks for reading and please review! **


	7. Chapter 6 Tensions on the Rise

Chapter 6

Tensions on the Rise

**Yeah, sorry for the wait, but I was busy with personal matters as well as working on the little oneshot I posted yesterday? Anyways, I want to thank all of you who chose to review, favorite, and follow my fanfic. In particular, I want to thank DinoGuy2000 for being my first reviewer and for waiting for me to come off my hiatus. He has been very patient, and I must say that I was surprised that he was still here, reading my fanfic, so yeah, thanks a lot. I would also like to thank all of you 'bigger' ZaTR authors, who, in part, helped me... fall in love with this pairing? Anyways, this was a rather lengthy intro, but, it's good to know that I'm not just some random person ya' know? Again, thank you to all of you for your continued support and reviews.**

5.32 D-Day+40 1200 City UNKNOWN Province UNKNOWN Country UNITED STATES Planet EARTH

_Yeah... this kid has a big head alright._ Dr. Harris stared at the kid, what was his name? Dib? _Maybe because he's too full of himself. _

Dib was currently briefing the xenobiologist team on his rather _extensive _knowledge of the extraterrestrials he called 'Irkens.' Harris sneered and brushed away his lengthy hair.

_This is embarrassing, having a 18 year old child briefing us on what theory and assumptions, assuming this child has anything to base these on. _Harris snorted slightly as the child stated that the 'Irkens' were 'allergic to water and meats.'

Harris rose from his seat and began to slowly made his way down the row of scientists. He walked over to one of the refreshment tables and drank one of the pixie cups they had laid out on the table. Harris choked on it, and promptly spat out the contents.

_They call this filth water? _

He snarled in disgust and shoved the cup into a nearby trashcan and left the conference room. _Do they really expect us to believe this, this... imposter's story? How the hell did he get such high security clearance to get here? _

He wiped away the water that was left on his lips. _I guess the American stereotype is true. We're a nation of self-centered idiots that run on McDonald's. _

He walked towards one of the elevators that allowed transportation to be possible through the extensive underground levels of the bunker.

A panel opened up, and Harris moved forward to allow the Retina Scanner to identify him. A beam of blue light scanned his right eye, and a feminine voiced chimed," Identity confirmed, Xenobiologist Jeremy Harris. Would you like to be transported to your quarters Doctor?"

"Yes May."

The elevators doors opened and Harris entered the stainless steel enclosure. The doors closed, and the scientist was left alone to his thoughts.

_While it may be true for the most part, there has to be some of us who can see through this crap. I signed up to save Earth and the human race, and by God I will fulfill that duty. _The xenobiologist began flipping through the data pad he had on his side. _Small sacrifices must be made to save the whole, in this case, it may mean getting rid of Dib, as young as he may be._

* * *

"And that wraps up my presentation." Dib ended his briefing and the xenobiologist team rose and began to chat about the information Dib had just given them.

Dib gathered his notes as he looked for Agent Spears who was near the exit of the conference room. Dib jumped down from the podium, and began to make his way through the crowd of scientists, every now and then being stopped by one of the scientists who were looking for clarification on some of the subjects that had been touched upon.

When Dib found himself next to Agent Spears, he beckoned him to follow him to the upper levels.

"What is it?"

"You know that biologist that left during the meeting?"

"Which one? The chubby white haired one, or the tall brown haired guy with the data pad on his hip?"

"The second one."

"Yeah, I know him. XB Jeremy Harris. Seems like a nice guy. Why?"

"I'm just curious, he kept rolling his eyes during my presentation, I guess I should make my case personally to him."

"Hmmph. Well, I'm pretty sure everyone in the audience was rolling their eyes at one point or another."

"And why would that be?"

"Well kid, some of your information seemed... unbelievable I suppose. Like how they're allergic to water, to H2 friggin O. Every organism needs it to survive, right?" Spears walked over to one of the elevators and swiped their cards.

"Well yes, they do. But I have a theory about how the Irkens manage to fulfill their H2O needs while staying alive."

"Well shoot. I'm sure the brass would like to hear about this." Spears scanned his eye, and Dib continued as he scanned his.

"I think they absorb it through their skin."

"What? You just said back there that they are allergic to liquid water!" Spears gestured towards the conference room as they entered the elevator.

"Yes, _liquid _water. I believe that the Irkens are allergic to H20 in its liquid form, but can tolerate it if it is in any of its other forms, gas or solid."

"How is that possible?"

"I think it may have something to do with their skin. I think water in general will irritate them, but not to the degree of liquid water."

"So it's molecular structure may have something to do with the irritation."

"I think so."

"But how do they get the water they need for survival? You didn't really answer that question."

"By drinking it. I think they have a coating of a sort of saliva or jelly that covers their insides so that they can tolerate meat and liquid water traveling through their insides."

"What is the substance like?"

"Its probably glue-like in nature."

"Hmm... but you don't know this for sure?"

"No.'

"Guess we're going to have to go get ourselves a prime specimen, eh?"

5.32 1300 Star System 5484625 In orbit around PLANET Re 'tau

The Irken Armada circled the icy planet, awaiting the Talixians' next move. It had been around four hours of fierce combat, with dozens of ships destroyed, thousands of fighters gone, countless dead and wounded. In the end, the Irken Armada prevailed, albeit with half their fleet either destroyed or badly damaged.

Purple and Red were currently standing on a podium, looking out through the glass at the planet below them. Around them were dozens of Irken crewmembers, cleaning up the blood, removing dead bodies, fixing consoles.

The battle for the bridge had been hellish, with several Elite squads and over thirty marine squads defending their leaders against numerous Talixian ship assault teams. The ferocity of the combatants was unmatched anywhere else on the battlefield, with no quarter being given, no tactic going unused. The outcome of the battle had been so uncertain that the Tallest were planning to break the observation glass and drop onto the planet nearby.

This plan never did come to pass, but the battle had been costly, with the Irkens losing well over 130 soldiers to Talixian intruders. The Tallest managed to survive the fight relatively intact, although Red's arm was grazed by laser fire from a Talixian sniper.

Red gritted his teeth as the medic began prodding his wound.

"Hey!" Purple spoke up from his side," Stop that, you're already too close for your own good."

The medic meekly bowed his head and mumbled a," Yes my Tallest."

The two waited for the medic to move onto the next patient, then Red nodded gratefully at Purple," Thanks, but I can take it.'

Purple ignored his statement," We could've lost more. A lot more."

"But we didn't."

"But what if had Red? What if we lost half the Armada to their 'Golden Fleet?' The IE would've been fucked."

"Purp, you gotta stop this. Brooding won't do anyone any good. We won, got it? There is no other outcome, we're always victorious. No matter what. Remember our motto, 'Always the Victor'."

Purple continued staring out the window, then turned to face Red," But someday, we won't be the victor, we won't be victorious. Someday, we're going to lose a crucial battle, _the _battle, and then the Irken race will be screwed. What of our people then, Red? They won't be able to defend themselves against the onslaught. You realize that right?"

Red gritted his teeth," Yes, I do Purple, but there isn't anything we can possibly do about that. You know how the Control Brains are, they shut down any idea of changing anything about Irken society and the perpetrator is silently, unexplainably, taken away and never heard of again."

"Yes Red, I do know that. But, what it all comes down to is this. We are the rulers of an Empire, a people. We have to do _something, _anything to prepare our people for the future. Attacking the humans did nothing, I only went along with it to kill Zim, but I doubt that even that will be accomplished." Purple shook his head and turned around," We've staved off defeat. For now."

**Just curious, would you guys like me to continue giving scientific explanations for things such as faster than light travel and energy shields? Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it. Please review and give me advice on what I could improve on, it is much appreciated! **


	8. Chapter 7 The Escape

**Sorry for not updating sooner, but I was busy with school and all. I was also musing over some new ideas for fanfics for other franchises. Anyways, hope you enjoy. **

Chapter 7 The Escape

5.32 D-Day+40 1415 City PARIS Province ILE-DE-FRANCE Country FRANCE Planet EARTH

Zim stared at the holographic projection, his hands folded in front of his mouth. He was currently looking at the aftermath of the Irken-Talixian fleet battle.

He began zooming in and out in several parts of the battlefield, looking at the debris and floating carcasses of ships. Satisfied, Zim rubbed his large, ruby eyes, then stretched his tiny frame. He spun around in the chair, looking for Gir. He scowled as he found equipment randomly strewn about the room, and shook his head.

"Gir!"

His robotic henchman appeared in duty mode, his eyes glowing red," Yes my master!"

"Have you packed our things?"

"No, my master, you asked me to restart Minimoose, which has proved difficult as its wiring is damaged due to lack of maintenance."

Zim cursed internally, but motioned for Gir to continue his work," Finish that then, I'll pack our things," he glanced at the digital cock situated on a nearby desk and turned back to Gir," we'll be leaving at 1500 sharp. We cannot afford to waste more time.

Zim turned to the trail of Irken equipment, and began to stack them nearby the holograph projector.

_Hell, we should've left by now. _He picked up a list off the floor,_ Well, at least we have the research I needed. _

"Computer, ready the Voot Cruiser."

"Of course."

5.32 D-Day+40 1450 City PHILADELPHIA Province PENNSYLVANIA Country UNITED STATES Planet EARTH

"Ma'am, I think we have something."

"What is it Skoodge?" Tak asked excitedly, her purple eyes shining with anticipation.

"Well, we have been searching for any peculiar signals that are trying to connect with the Military Network, or connect to the Galactic Cyberweb, but we had no luck. Eventually, Invader Poot suggested that we connect to the satellite network, and we have found a signal coming from Earth that isn't part of team STRIKER's!"

"Where is it?"

"Skoodge summoned a holographic map from his SIR," Here ma'am," Skoodge pointed to Paris, France, an idiotic grin plastered on his face," we caught the signal at around 1400, and only recently decrypted it. It is Irken in origin and is currently monitoring the Armada in orbit over Re 'tau ."

"Zim?"

"It's probable, although it may be that Dib character you mentioned."

"Dib died in the aftermath of the attack on his city, it's Zim. It can't be anyone else. Tell the others that we have a confirmed position on the target. Inform the Captain of the _Formidable_."

"Understood," Skoodge turned around and opened the door, only to be run over by Invader Poot," WHAT IN THE NAME OF!?"

"Shush Skoodge!" Poot glared at Skoodge, then turned to her fellow female," we are detecting Irken power signatures near the Paris area around Zim Commander."

Tak hissed, automatically finishing Poot's report," How long has he been readying his Cruiser?"

"It just appeared on the scanners, he probably hid it in an underground port, so we don't know. It may be ready to launch right no-"

Tak shoved her aside and began running through the hallway, shoving aside multiple Invaders in her haste.

"But Commander, what are you orders?"

Ignoring Poot Tak spoke to the base computer," Base, ready my Spittle Runner and direct Mimi to the underground launch pad." Tak pulled out the comm from her PAK and relayed her message to the STRIKER team," STRIKER, this is your commander, we have found Zim near the city of Paris. It appears that Zim is preparing his escape. All of you get to your craft and converge on my position. Do not engage the target, I'll take care of him. "

She rushed into the hanger, checking her data pad to check that her Spittle Runner was fueled and her weapons fully charged. Satisfied with the results she shoved the pad back into her PAK and climbed into the cockpit of her ship.

_'Mimi!'_

The robot landed beside her, holding a long thin pole.

_'What is that Mimi?'_

_'It is the ELW-13BY, an explosive launching weapon. I thought it might throw a kink into Zim's plans.'_

_'Excellent Mimi.' _

**Yeah, not much of a chapter, but, at least we'll have an action packed chapter next time. :D Hope you enjoyed, and please leave reviews and criticism. **


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